Stop smoking this Stoptober

STOPTOBER is back, calling on smokers to join the 2.5 million others who have made a quit attempt with the campaign since it first launched.

Be Well Tameside offer support services for a range of health and wellbeing issues, and stopping smoking is one of them. This Tameside service supported 901 residents in stopping smoking in 2022/2023, and are continuing to offer advice and support.

On Tuesday 26 September, Be Well Tameside are hosting an event at Ashton Outdoor Market (weather dependent, if the weather does not permit you will find Be Well Tameside on the Tameside Wellbeing Corner in Ashton Indoor Market) from 10am til 3:30pm. The service will be offering information, support and advice to residents who would like to take their first steps to stopping smoking.

Over five million adults in England still smoke and it remains the biggest behavioural cause of preventable illness and death, with 64,000 deaths a year. Therefore this year's Stoptober mass quit attempt is as important as ever, with quitting remaining one of the best things a smoker can do for their health.

Stoptober is encouraging smokers to join the thousands of others who are committing to quitting for the month of October – quit smoking for 28 days and you’re five times more likely to quit for good.

There is a wide range of stop smoking support available for smokers wanting to quit through Be Well Tameside, which can massively boost a smoker’s chances of quitting for good.

People who live, work or have a GP in Tameside can access free, flexible, face to face or telephone support through Be Well Tameside, as well as getting six months free access to 24/7 stop smoking support through the Greater Manchester Smokefree App. Stop smoking support can also be accessed by speaking to your GP or local pharmacy.

When you stop smoking, good things start to happen - quitting will allow you to start moving better, breathe more easily and give you more money to spend. Stoptober offers a range of free quitting tools including the NHS Quit Smoking app, Facebook messenger bot, Stoptober Facebook online communities, daily emails and SMS, and an online Personal Quit Plan tool.

It provides information and advice on proven quitting methods: the range of stop smoking aids, including further information on how vaping can help you quit, and expert support from local Stop Smoking Services.

Tameside Council’s Executive Member for Adult Social Care and Population Health, Councillor Eleanor Wills, said: “By joining the thousands across in England in stopping smoking this October, you will be doing the best thing you’ve ever done for your physical and mental health.

“We continue to work hard with our partners in supporting residents to quit smoking and the Council’s flexible Be Well Tameside stop smoking service, along with our Pharmacies and GP surgeries in Tameside is there to help you quit for good. Join us this Stoptober and commit to quit by taking advantage of our free stop smoking services and the other resources on offer from Stoptober.”

If you would like to contact Be Well Tameside you can email them at bewelltameside@tameside.gov.uk or you can call them on 0161 342 5050, you can also visit their website here.

For more information on the Stoptober resources, visit the Better Health Quit Smoking Website.